Biz Bits: Financial planning to make college a reality

Wednesday

Feb 19, 2014 at 1:01 AM

By More Content Now

Tip of the WeekCareer growth, job stability and employee benefits have increased the pursuit of a college education, and with it, the cost of earning a degree.Financial aid experts like Michelle Stipp, director of student finance operations for DeVry University, suggest students explore all opportunities to decrease supplemental student loans that may be needed to cover remaining tuition costs, including:• Online scholarship search tools: For example, scholarships.com or fastweb.com can aid in finding the right scholarship for each individual. These websites allow you to sort scholarship options by institution and relevancy.• Scholarship opportunities at your college or university: Beyond financial aid, many colleges or universities provide a variety of scholarship opportunities. Scholarships can be awarded for many reasons, including academic excellence, extracurricular participation and financial need.• Employer reimbursement programs: Many employed adults also seek financial assistance when they choose to continue their education while working. In some cases, their employers provide tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement programs, through which employers offer to pay a portion of the employee’s tuition while they are enrolled.— Brandpoint

BBB WatchJust as your computer can become infected with a virus, so can your smartphone. Stay away from discontinued apps: Don’t attempt to download anything calling itself Flappy Bird, since the original version is “dead.” This goes for other apps, too. — BBB

Number to Know14 percent: In 2011, 14 percent more bachelor’s degree holders were covered by employer-provided health insurance when compared to individuals holding a high school diploma. That same year, 65 percent of bachelor’s degree holders working full time, year-round were offered retirement plans by their employers, compared to only 52 percent of high school graduates.— Brandpoint

Tech TalkFor the person who is looking to have it all, a two-in-one device offers you the experience of a PC and a tablet all in the same package. The latest two-in-one devices powered by the 4th generation Intel Core processor deliver a 50 percent improvement in battery life, offering up to nine hours in some systems. These systems can wake up approximately eight times faster, handle everyday computing tasks roughly four times faster, and make video editing and sharing about 16 times faster than a similar 4-year-old PC.— Brandpoint